Mawish Moulvi

On the night of July 25, 2018, when red, green and white flags were being waved across the country in celebration, our (then unofficial) Prime Minister Imran Khan addressing the nation said: ‘we will run Pakistan like it has never been run before.’ That night, the possibility of a corruption free nation, with jobs for the youth, houses for the homeless and justice for the poor, was on the brink of … [Read more...] about Pakistan Tehreek-e-Ideal?

She watches her brother swing the heavy bag full of books onto his small shoulders. Every morning, her father walks him to somewhere called school — a place where he will learn to read and write. She is not permitted to join him because girls who go to school get out of hand. But what if her father was told sending his daughter to school would make her a good wife?
For decades, activists have … [Read more...] about Good wives go to school

Wi-Fi Password: Talk to each other, call your mom, pretend like its 1993. I recently stumbled upon this sign inside a café in Karachi. It was a friendly reminder by the owner to enjoy the moment. Today, four people sitting at a dinner table all looking down into their telephone screens is no longer considered an odd site. Someone is taking endless pictures of their food for Instagram (the … [Read more...] about Pretend like its 1993

Small yellow lights dot the circular ceiling. Long, thin microphones cast shadows on gleaming wooden desks. Mr Jinnah stands against the front wall, facing 342 empty plush brown seats. The men who sit upon them will soon hold the reins to his creation. The women will of course, be part of the journey. But most will only be given a space on the passenger seats.
Sixty women always have the right … [Read more...] about Passenger seats for female politicians

Once a person steps into the political arena, their personality becomes tied to their policies. Personal decisions, big or small, flashing across television screens transform into juicy gossip. Some supporters shake their heads in disappointment. Certain opposition parties smile in satisfaction. Analysts add their two cents to the story. But one question then begins to swirl in the common man's … [Read more...] about Khan’s illegitimate child is not our business

The clock continues to tick. You wait. No one arrives. The only proof of time passing by is the little hand moving along the dotted lines. You wait some more. Still no faces appear. Across the world, you are punctual. However, in Pakistan you are a fool.
As a society, our understanding of time is highly unique. We perpetually live in uncertain times. A wedding invitation will read 8pm but in … [Read more...] about A Pakistan punctuated with delays

The Japanese have an old saying about human complexities. They believe every individual has three faces; one they show the world, a second for family and friends, and the third that no one ever sees. But this instinctive mechanism is not only found amongst people. Nations also possess faces. And each nation’s first face is their trump card.
The first face emerges over time through the stories a … [Read more...] about Pakistan’s bloodstained face

If he runs wearing blue, she must sit dressed in pink. If he speaks up in a crowd, she must silently walk by head bowed. If tall, dark and handsome he roams the night, she must return home by daylight and scrub her face to a paler shade. If he works to build a career, she must push to bring a child. From time immemorial, a woman's identity has been constructed in opposition to men. All that men … [Read more...] about A pillar called man

The city of lights once again roars with cheer. Seats are lined by a sea of faces with placards squeezed in between. Shrieks of ‘yes’ and ‘no’ follow every swing. Music blares across the field. Then somebody lifts the cup and the lights are turned off. The people scatter home. It is said the spectators are proof of a new era; the flag flutters between winds of change. But can we really build a … [Read more...] about No genie in the bottle

A politician’s struggle is for the people. But the prominent politicians in Pakistan today have very little in common with the common man. They live extraordinary lives, cushioned by endless wealth from which steams immeasurable power. The obstacles they encounter everyday are very far from the ordinary struggles faced by the common man, struggles that include lack of clean drinking water, … [Read more...] about Of pranks, politics and power